Breeding Vietnamese piglets as a business. Breeding Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs Tips for breeding Vietnamese pigs

It's no secret that pigs are bred not for their beautiful faces, but for their meat. It’s stupid to turn a blind eye to this; such is our cruel, imperfect world. Every year, humanity consumes about 3 billion tons of pork.

As they say, demand creates supply, and many pig breeders have long wondered about breeding a breed that would have high productivity, high quality meat and be easy to care for. Today, it is gaining popularity among livestock farmers in many countries in Europe and America. Vietnamese pig breed, and for good reason.

Features and description of the Vietnamese pig

Southeast Asia is considered the homeland of these artiodactyls, but they came to European countries and Canada from Vietnam, hence the name - Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. This happened relatively recently - in 1985, but thanks to their many advantages, these pigs quickly won the hearts of many farmers around the world.

On photo of Vietnamese pigs cannot be confused with any other breed: they have slightly flattened muzzles with small erect ears, short squat limbs, a wide chest and a belly that sag almost to the floor. When you see these animals, it immediately becomes clear why they are called pot-bellied.

The color of pigs is predominantly black, some specimens have light spots. Vietnamese white pig pure blood (not mestizo) is very rare. Boars have characteristic bristles on their bodies. The length of the stubble on the scruff of the neck can reach 20 cm, and by its position one can determine the mood of the animal: from fear and from joy, this peculiar mohawk stands on end.

Dairy piglets are even cheaper (1000-2000 rubles). Their fate is not enviable: they are bought for the sake of tender dietary meat. This product is considered a delicacy because it has excellent taste, contains little cholesterol and has no fatty layers.

Owners of livestock farms for breeding Vietnamese pigs agree on one thing - keeping them is not difficult. However, without proper care and sufficient attention to your charges, it is unlikely that anything good will come of it.

ABOUT Vietnamese pigs, buy which are not difficult in our country, the reviews are mostly positive. They have established themselves as good-natured and docile animals. Young animals are not at all afraid of humans: piglets can play for a long time, like puppies.

Many owners also note the attachment of this type of pig to its owner. If you teach a piglet to be handled from infancy, he will ask to be scratched.

Adult wild boars often follow their owner with their “tail,” like many. Vietnamese pigs are very smart animals. According to scientific research, their intelligence is comparable to that of a 3-year-old child.

Every year, breeding Vietnamese pigs at home in the post-Soviet countries is gaining more and more popularity. Although this breed appeared in our country relatively recently, many rumors have already formed around it.

Vietnamese pigs have an impressive appearance on the outside, and beautifully marbled meat of excellent quality on the inside.

This pig breed is considered one of the best for breeding and raising at home. According to social A lot of videos with Vietnamese pigs have been circulated across networks. Two types of Vietnamese pigs are in demand: miniature pigs and pot-bellied pigs. The former are usually pets like dogs. The latter are mainly raised for slaughter, as they produce a large amount of marbled meat of the highest quality with a minimum fat content. In addition to its other useful characteristics, this meat looks good. This determines its high cost and increased demand.

The main benefits of breeding lop-eared piglets are as follows:

• Piglets are born annually, with an average of six to eighteen piglets at a time;
• A piglet is considered an adult from 4-6 months;
• You can use hay, grass, vegetables, apples and potatoes as feed;
• Lifespan up to thirty years;
• Each new offspring, with good care, is better than the previous one;
• Piglets mature early and gain weight quickly;
• Meat of excellent quality with low fat content;
• Breeding pot bellies is a good business with a quick payback.

Vietnamese pigs as a separate breed first appeared in Southeast Asia. They arrived in the regions of Europe and Canada already in the 85th year of the last century straight from Vietnam. That is why they received such a name. They soon gained great popularity and were loved by farmers and livestock breeders. After this, the rapidly growing fashion for this breed spread to the USA, Poland, France, Poland, Hungary and other countries. Goals were set to improve breed quality, size and muscle percentage as a percentage of the body.

This breed came to the Russian Federation recently. For some reason, there is an opinion that we have several different breeds: Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese. In reality, Korean and Vietnamese are the same breed. A slightly different variety is only the Chinese pot-bellied. In essence, this is a decorative breed of these same animals. They are exact smaller copies of ordinary pot-bellies. The only difference is the size.

How to choose correctly

Success in breeding Vietnamese pigs depends on the right choice of piglets

There are two types of pot-bellied pigs: young pigs are purchased for further breeding; Small piglets are bought and then fattened.

1. In both cases, it is important to contact only trusted suppliers.
2. For breeding young pigs in a tribe, it is not recommended to use pigs from the same litter. It is better to generally buy animals from different sellers. This is the only way to eliminate the possibility of closely related relationships. Such connections always have a negative impact on the herd.
3. Don’t be embarrassed to clarify how much the baby weighed at birth and when weighed every ten days. This way you can calculate the approximate height of the animal as it matures.
4. You need to ask the seller to show the parents of the pig being sold. If the baby weighs about 5 kg and, according to the seller, he is no more than a month old, then the sow’s saggy mammary glands should be clearly visible. It should also be lighter in weight. If all this is missing, then most likely they are offering you an older boar.
5. Examine several piglets from one sow at once. By looking at everyone, you can roughly judge what they will be like when they grow up. Healthy animals have good muscle mass, wide, reliable limbs. The head should also be broad with a different curve to the nose. Also, a healthy condition can be easily judged by a clean and dry tail, elastic body, shiny eyes, appetite and playfulness of the baby.

It is important to find out what kind of food the animal is accustomed to. If you want to switch him to another food, you need to do this gradually.

Advantages of breeding, keeping and caring for this breed

Raising Vietnamese piglets brings much more benefits to the pig farmer than breeding regular piglets. These animals have a number of features that cannot be ignored when keeping them. Many of the following advantages helped this breed become widespread. Thanks to this breed, pig farming is very beneficial. Here are the main benefits of caring for these animals.

Breeding Vietnamese pigs is a profitable enterprise. With simple care they produce good offspring and delicious meat.

The production and development of all qualities also depends on the livestock breeder, on what conditions he provides to the piglets. Based on the above, we can say that caring for this breed is much easier than the pigs we are used to. The basis of their diet is fresh grass from spring to autumn and hay in winter.

Vietnamese pigs are very unpretentious in their care, but despite this, they simply need constant warmth. There should be no wind in the room, and the floor should be warm.

Appearance Features

A farmer who wants to purchase these particular pigs for breeding is unlikely to make a mistake. The external characteristics of this breed are difficult to confuse with the appearance of ordinary pigs.

An individual of the Vietnamese breed is easily distinguished by its black skin, hanging belly, wide back and flattened muzzle.

• The main color is black. Although some of their representatives may be painted in a different shade, for example gray.
• Droopy bellies. Even in small pigs, the belly sag noticeably downward. And in adults it often sags to the ground.
• Unusual muzzle shape. In this breed it is flattened.
• Back and chest. Compared to the breed we are used to, these piglets have quite wide chests and backs.
• Nails. They are very short, making the piglets stocky.
• Ears. They are erect and small.
• Bristle. It is characteristic only of the male sex of these pigs.

It is worth noting that already adult individuals can reach 80 kilograms. Breeding animals with long-term maintenance and proper care can reach a weight of 15 kg.

The fat layer of newborn piglets is still thin and in order for them not to freeze, they simply need to be kept with their mother in a very warm room.

How to properly set up a pigsty

Before you start purchasing piglets, you first need to properly equip their housing. One pigsty can house from one to seven animals. Vietnamese pigs love warmth and do not tolerate low temperatures well. Moreover, the cold is reflected in their heat gain. If the pig is kept in the cold, this will lead to the fact that it will not be able to gain more than fifty kilograms and will not farrow within a year.

Therefore, the pigsty must be built of brick. Doors and windows should be made of wood. It is recommended to insulate the ceiling well. Hay or straw is best for this. They can be placed in the attic or to plug cracks.

The floor should be made of concrete and laid with wooden planks. This will prevent your animals from getting frostbite during the winter months. If it is not possible to lay boards on the floor, you can lay straw and sawdust. It's even better to lay them on top of the boards. However, this method of insulation has a serious drawback. The litter needs to be changed periodically. But the main thing is that animals must be kept warm. Constantly replacing the old bedding with a new one will help avoid the possibility of infection, bacteria and rodents.

Rats and mice are one of the main problems of every pigsty. Only constant cleaning and the use of poisons will help here.

The poison must be such that it only harms rats and mice, otherwise there is a risk of poisoning the pigs themselves. It is not recommended to use poisons that have expired.

There must be a drain in the floor. This is necessary so that animals are not in their own sewage. Without a drain, the owner will have more worries about daily and thorough cleaning of the entire room.

The height of the room from floor to ceiling should be no less than two, two and a half meters. This is the only way to ensure normal oxygen circulation and ventilation. Indeed, from the point of view of unpleasant odor, these pigs are not inferior to ordinary ones.

The Vietnamese have high demands on the pigsty - reliable walls, strong floors, heating

It is recommended to divide the room into several zones. Equip each area with a place for food and drainage. This is required to separate adult boars, newborn piglets and sows from each other. One sow requires a room of approximately four meters. The boar needs to allocate at least three.

Adult animals will easily tolerate the cold, but it is better to equip the pigsty with additional heating. For this, a standard Russian stove will be sufficient. It will be possible to burn with ordinary wood.

How to walk

Vietnamese pigs, more than other species, urgently need periodic walking. In their homeland, these are steppe animals living in fields. There they are grazed just like we graze cows or sheep. Therefore, during the summer months, animals should be outdoors as often as possible. One hundred square meters of land is needed per pig. If there is no such space, then you need to build a pen for the animals and feed them fresh feed and herbs. Being often outdoors, pigs grow and gain weight much faster.

There should be several deeply dug posts in the pen. They are required so that pigs scratch their backs on them. In addition, you need a swimming pool. This could be an ordinary hole two by two meters. The pit is filled with water. There is no need to change it at all. This is not for drinking, but for swimming and taking mud baths, which these animals love so much. This way they cool down and get rid of annoying insects. You can also arrange a canopy where animals can hide from the sun.

In just four months, the babies will grow up and gain up to hundreds of kg in weight.

Feeding

The diet of animals of this breed should consist of:

• Grains;
• Herbs;
• Seine;
• Vegetables.

The frequency with which pigs should be fed depends directly on the time of year. During the warm months, animals need to be fed twice a day. In winter, due to increased heat loss, at least three times.

It is important to remember that certain types of feed lead to uncontrolled fat gain. For example, dry food. It is difficult to digest. This is a distinctive feature of this breed.

The best type of feed for Vietnamese pigs will be liquid feed based on greens, water and mixed feed. Pigs love vegetables. Therefore, you need to prepare large supplies of carrots, zucchini, pumpkin and cabbage. Pigs also love to eat any pasture, such as clover and alfalfa. However, these plants can lead to poisoning; access to them should be limited.

Vietnamese pigs are picky eaters and simply love vegetables.

In winter they can be fed hay and corn. The daily allowance should be at least two kilograms. This is in addition to vegetables. In winter, the norm can be increased to two and a half kilograms.

How to farrow and rear

The main rule for getting good offspring from Vietnamese pigs is that the sow and boar should not be blood relatives.

Representatives of this breed mature much earlier, but you should not breed a pig if it weighs less than thirty kilograms. This will have a detrimental effect on both her health and the health of the piglets.

You can determine whether an animal is ready for mating by the following signs:

• The pig behaves restlessly;
• The genital loop swells;
• Discharge appears.

In order for mating to be successful, the pig and boar are placed together for a day. Pregnancy lasts 118 days. Five days before farrowing, the pig begins to behave restlessly. Her nipples become red and swollen, and her stomach drops. The day before giving birth, the animal refuses food and water.

It is important to prepare in advance for farrowing:

• Clean the pen, change the water in the drinkers, spread fresh hay.
• Fence off a separate corner for the piglets and arrange for heating.
• Prepare diapers, cotton wool, scissors and iodine.

Some farmers prefer not to interfere in the process of childbirth. However, each piglet must be carefully examined and cleaned of mucus using diapers, the umbilical cord cut and processed. If the piglet is not provided with colostrum in the first 60 minutes, it may die. In the warm season, piglets will have enough food twice a day. Be sure to add fresh grass to your diet. Well, in winter it is better to feed them with hay at lunchtime. Piglets grow much faster in the fresh air, and their immunity becomes stronger.

Like a Vietnamese pot-bellied one. Currently, small Vietnamese piglets are of great interest for business. The rapid growth, weight gain and fertility of animals are attracting the attention of more and more farmers. This amazing breed and the reasons for its growing popularity will be discussed in this article with photos and videos.

The Vietnamese pig, also known as the pot-bellied pig, also known as the Asian herbivore, was bred in Southeast Asia. Animals of this breed were brought to other continents in 1985 from Vietnam. This is how the name Vietnamese pigs appeared, although it would be more correct to call them Asian pigs. The breed gained recognition first in Canada and the USA, and then in European countries.

In Russia, herbivorous Asians appeared relatively recently, but their popularity is growing rapidly. Breed selection is currently ongoing in all breeding countries.

The animal is small, height at the withers about 50 cm, weight 50-70 kg (American standards allow a weight of 90 kg for boars and hogs). In appearance, this is a very funny creature, with short legs, a wide body and a pronounced hanging belly (hence the name pot-bellied).

Although these pigs are herbivores, the fangs of males reach 10-15 cm. The animals’ ears are small and erect. The characteristic color is black, silver, white and red are also found, and there may be a combination of colors. A distinctive feature of potbellies is a kind of “mohawk” of longer bristles along the ridge.

Features of the breed and advantages over ordinary pigs

It is enough to even glance at the photo to notice how many differences there are between ordinary (white) pigs and Vietnamese ones. Most farmers speak of their pot-bellied pets as smart and intelligent animals.

Compared to ordinary pigs, Vietnamese pigs are distinguished by their docile and calm disposition. They behave completely differently towards their offspring: a sow cannot eat her piglet, and will not refuse to feed her offspring.

Asians are surprisingly clean. They clearly distinguish between the living area and the “bathroom” in the pigsty. Teaching potbellies to go to the toilet in a certain place is no more difficult than training a cat to go to the litter box. In the places where they are kept there is not such a suffocating smell as in a regular pigsty.

Vietnamese pigs have good immunity and also easily adapt to climate change. They practically do not get sick, which means they do not require numerous vaccinations. Perhaps the main danger for them is infection with helminths, but if preventive measures are taken, this is not the biggest problem.

The Vietnamese breed is picky about food. Animals do not put everything in their mouths, they will not eat poisonous plants and strange or spoiled foods.

The main advantages over ordinary pigs, forcing farmers to choose Vietnamese pigs, are the following:

• bacon meat is more tender, juicy, and contains several times less cholesterol than regular pork;
• rapid growth and maturation, pigs are ready for reproduction at 4 months, wild boars at 5-6. A sow is capable of giving birth twice a year;
• multiple births, at one time a female can give birth to 11-13 piglets, in some cases their number reaches 18-20;
• a large percentage of piglets survive without much effort and medicinal injections, thanks to innate immunity.

Decorative mini pigs are the closest relatives of the Vietnamese

Breeders continue to work on the Asian breed, and one of the directions has been to further reduce the size of the animal. The result of the work was the breeding of pigs weighing 15-30 kg, with a height at the withers of up to 40 cm. The little ones were born in Germany as a result of crossing Asians with small wild boars.

Miniature pigs were originally bred for laboratory research. Fast growing, unpretentious, stress-resistant, they ideally met the requirements for experimental animals.

These pigs began to be purchased as pets relatively recently, but now keeping them has become a fashionable trend. In family photos and videos, you can increasingly see not only traditional dogs and cats, but also mini-pigs with their owners.

The amateur video “Top 10: mini pigs” demonstrates how many positive emotions little pigs give their owners.

What makes them so attractive to keep at home?

• The animals are small, you can choose the optimal height and weight from all varieties;
• caring for them is no more difficult than caring for a cat or dog, this applies to nutrition, education, hygienic features, and veterinary care;
• the animals are very clean, they can be easily trained to use a tray;
• do not have a specific odor;
• hypoallergenic, since they are not covered with hair, even asthmatics can keep them;
• intelligent and trainable. In Germany, scientists have proven that pigs are able to learn more commands than dogs;
• cheerful and friendly, get along well with children and get along with other pets.

Owners of petting zoos, which are becoming more and more numerous in big and small cities, are also happy to purchase small pigs. The animals are very suitable for these purposes in all respects, and visitors (and not only children, but also adults) enjoy watching and feeding them. In the photo, pigs rejoice at visitors to the contact area of ​​the Yalta Zoo.

Feeding

It is very important to feed animals properly, monitor how they gain weight, and prevent obesity. What do they feed pets, and how many times a day should they be given food?

The basis of the diet of the Asian herbivorous pig should be grass, and hay in winter. In summer there are generally no problems with feeding animals both on farms and at home. Pigs graze on the walking area, chewing grass. For full development, you need to give them more apples, pears, and zucchini.

Plants and fruits occupy 50-70% of the diet, the remaining 30-50 comes from grains (barley, rye, wheat). An important question is how much corn can be included in the diet. Getting carried away with corn is dangerous, it can lead to obesity, so the share of this crop should not exceed 10% of the diet. In summer, animals should be fed 2 times a day (if they graze on grass, then feed them with fruits, vegetables and grains).

In winter, grass is replaced with hay; it is better to prepare it from more tender and juicy herbs (clover, alfalfa, sweet clover). It must be said that rough food is poorly digested by Asians. Therefore, too dry hard hay and straw are contraindicated for them, and it is advisable to crush the grains. Many farmers cook porridge from grains, which is especially recommended for growing piglets.

In winter, pigs are fed 3 times a day. At this time of year, sugar beets, carrots, and pumpkins are used as top dressing. Vegetables are given raw to preserve the vitamins they contain. You can add fish oil to the feed (2 tablespoons per bucket), this course lasts 10 days a month.

Compound feed is also widely used for fattening pigs. Some farmers buy ready-made mixtures, the main advantage of which is the optimal ratio of ingredients, which provides a balanced diet. It is important to choose a reliable manufacturer of high-quality feed.

Some owners, on the contrary, consider it more correct to make compound feed at home. In the classic ratio: barley 40%, wheat 30%, oats 10%, peas 10%, corn 10%. In any case, when using compound feed, you need to pay special attention to weight gain in order to prevent obesity.

Breeding

Breeding these wonderful animals is not a fantastically difficult process. Given certain material conditions and following simple rules, even novice farmers can cope with this task. .

Reproduction of pot bellies

Vietnamese beetles mature quickly and are ready for reproduction in 3-4 months. But experts do not recommend breeding animals earlier than 6 months. by the time of mating should be at least 30-35 kg.

Pigs carry offspring for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. The first litter usually contains 5-10 piglets. In subsequent farrowings, the sow can give birth to up to 20 cubs. The average weight of a newborn pig is 500 g.

It is necessary to prepare the place for farrowing in advance. It should be warm and protected from drafts.

You can learn about the imminent arrival of the moment of birth by the behavior of the sow. Before farrowing, the female begins to worry, may refuse to eat, and prepares a nest from hay. Childbirth in a Vietnamese pig usually lasts 3-3.5 hours. It is advisable that they take place under the supervision of the owner.

Newborn pets are born with a minimal supply of nutrients. Therefore, it is important that they receive colostrum within an hour after giving birth.

Breeding Asian pigs as an activity is carried out in 2 options: breeding for meat and breeding. The requirements are also more stringent. To obtain stronger and stronger offspring, they are bred later than their “meat” relatives.

The optimal age for the first mating is 8-10 months. By this time, the potbelly not only matures, but also gains strength. Her mammary glands will fully develop, and it will be easier to feed her offspring.

Raising piglets

The concern of the new breeder is to prevent hypothermia in the piglets. Particular attention should be paid to this when raising animals at home. In the first two weeks, it is advisable to keep them in a room with a temperature of +25 degrees.

Vietnamese pigs are caring mothers and try to feed all their offspring. If there is not enough milk, or there are not enough sow nipples for all the offspring, the babies are fed from baby bottles every 1.5 hours. You can use cow's or goat's milk. Also, piglets should always have drinking water available. But you should not abuse feeding from a bottle with a nipple; in the second week they need to be accustomed to feeding.

Grass or hay, as well as lightly toasted grains of barley, wheat, and corn serve as top dressing. The grain in this form becomes sweetish and is liked by animals. At the same time, they become accustomed to more solid food, which also massages the gums. The diet of piglets must include liquid porridge (oatmeal, barley) with milk, and in the third week - with skim milk. Gradually, the amount of feeding should be increased, and the amount of milk, on the contrary, reduced.

Complete weaning of the offspring from the sow is done at 2.5-3 months; longer feeding can harm the health of the pig. Immediately after weaning, the correct feed should be selected. It is important that the protein content in the food is at least 20%, the fat content is 5-6%, and the fiber content is about 3%. From 4 to 6 months, the protein content should already be 30-40%.

When purchasing piglets, especially for breeding, you need to be very careful. You can avoid mistakes, as well as deception on the part of breeders, if you follow the following scheme:

• carefully examine the entire litter and select the most physically developed animals, strong, what is called “knocked down”, with widely spaced limbs;
• the head should be wide, pug-shaped with a specific bend in the nasal bones, like a pug. A healthy piglet has even bristles, sparkling eyes, and is active and cheerful;
• the baby must have a healthy appetite;
• pay attention to the animal's defecation;
• you cannot purchase a pair from the same litter; crossing close relatives leads to disease and degeneration;
• You should not purchase piglets from a farm where there is only one breeding boar. The probability of inbreeding is almost one hundred percent;
• find out from the seller how much the piglet weighed at birth and the dynamics of weight gain at intervals of ten days;
• examine the parents of the piglets. The weight of a month-old piglet (this is what is usually sold) is 3-3.5 kg, and its nursing mother should look emaciated, with saggy milk lobes. If the picture is not the same, either the piglet is older and underdeveloped, or the owner shows another sow.

If you are satisfied with everything and you decide to buy, be sure to find out what the kids ate. A sudden change in diet can negatively affect your pet’s well-being. It is necessary to introduce new products and change the ratio of various fertilizers gradually and with great care.

If you choose the right piglets and follow the basic rules of maintenance and care, you will definitely raise them healthy and cheerful. Good luck!

Recently, a kind of “fashion” has appeared in agriculture. for unusual animal breeds. One of these exotic varieties was the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. The breed got its name due to its unusual exterior, namely its droopy belly. The piglet came to Canada from Vietnam, so its other name is Vietnamese pig. This pig came to European farms from Asia. This happened not so long ago, at the end of the last century. Nevertheless, the breed has already taken root on domestic farms.

Breeders set out to increase productivity and muscle mass ratio. The experiment was a success, which contributed to the spread of the breed among farmlands.

One of the advantages of keeping the breed is that caring for Vietnamese piglets does not require significant effort or expense. Pigs feel great under normal conditions and not too demanding.

The farmer's work is simplified by the strong immunity of pot-bellied pigs. Thanks to its high resistance, the animal’s body can easily withstand almost any domestic weather conditions.

Gallery: pot-bellied Vietnamese piglets (25 photos)

Vietnamese pigs differ from the usual breeds in their friendly temperament. Even during the period of caring for piglets, pigs do not show aggression, which is a definite advantage when breeding them. Raising the breed does not require special skills.

Pig breeding begins with the purchase of piglets. There are several points to note attention when choosing animals:

• You should not buy a couple from one offspring. Closely related relationships not only worsen the quality of genetic material, but also contribute to the development of mutations;
• If there is only one boar on the farm, there is a high probability of “relatedness” of the purchased piglets;
• When purchasing, you need a piglet and its growth rate;
• It is necessary to “get to know” the parents of the piglets. If the babies were born recently, the sow will be tired and with noticeable weight loss;
• Piglets should be active and playful, with a good appetite. The external characteristics of the cubs should also please: the body is well-knit, the coat is even, the muscles are pronounced;
• You need to ask which one. This is required to ensure that the transition to a regular diet occurs smoothly and without stress for the baby.